Quick look at Heights calendar shows busy time coming

There is a busy week coming up in the Houston Heights, and instead of writing separate posts for each, here’s a quick look at what’s coming up.

Nominations for the Houston Heights Association’s Community Improvement Awards are due Friday, Jan. 11. The awards are ways for the Association as well as area residents to recognize neighborhood improvements every year. Projects in four categories that have been completed within the last years are eligible. Nominations and awards will be presented at the Volunteer Awards Dinner on Sunday, February 24, 2013.

Categories include:

Residential New Construction

Residential Restoration

Commercial New Construction, and

Commercial Restoration.

Nomination forms and rules can be found here, while a quick look at last year’s winners can be found here.

Also, new HHA president Dave Steitz will preside over his first general meeting at the Heights Fire Station, 107 West 12th, Monday night, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m. The focus will be on pets and pet services in and around the Heights. Here’s the description from the HHA website:

Bring your canine and visit with area vendors, non-profits, and professionals about all there is to offer our furry friends, right here in the ‘hood. We’ll find out what we should do if we find a lost or abandoned animal, and how we can help these beautiful animals by supporting our local non-profits. Also, where to go when you are ready to give a loving home to a rescued animal.

For those of you still getting rid of your Christmas trees, and missed the city of Houston’s recycling schedule, heavy trash will be carried out Friday, Jan. 11, for ZIP code 77009 north of North Main and Wednesday, Jan. 16, 77009 south of North Main and 77007 and 77008.

For more about trash pickup in your neighborhood, visit the Solid Waste Department’s website here.

I wonder if Heights Boulevard will once again be so heavily-wooded one day!

Join us Saturday, January 12th, starting at 9 AM to plant a number of trees on the 500 block of Heights Boulevard esplanade. This block was the hardest hit during the drought the summer before last so we have plenty of room in the mulch beds for new trees. We’ll also be extending the irrigation system to make sure these new trees have sufficient water to get a good start. Bring gloves, shovels, and rakes if you can. The bulk of the work should be done by lunch. Please reply back if you think you’ll be able to make it so I can estimate how many trees we’ll be able to plant. Let me know if you have questions.

I also could use 1 or 2 volunteers at my house around 8:15 AM to help in loading and placing the trees – email back if you are interested.

Birdwatching this Saturday (Jan 12). Meet at the parking lot in front of the civic center at 7:30. Jason Bonilla from the Houston Audubon Society leads our monthly bird-watching walks through the park. No experience needed! Bring binoculars if you have them.

Great time to see migrant birds, and great time to check out our new trails before our trail-building morning on Jan 19! For more information check our website at www.friendsofwoodlandpark.org.

The trail building/work day to which the e-mail refers is set for Jan. 19 at 9 a.m. Volunteers are set to spread some mulch along the trails. Prospective volunteers who have a rake, pitchfork or wheelbarrow are asked to please bring it!

And finally, the First Saturday Arts Market, 548 West 19th, which was rained out last week, will try again this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.